acknowledges | ic contact

[His sunflower, just freshly beginning to bloom, creates an odd halo behind Bolin's head. Naruto listens to his answer, really listens to it, and for the first time wonders about what those circumstances would mean for him in Caissa. What if Bolin himself went back? Or Hime-chan. What if it was Sasuke or Sakura? His stomach clenches. It's fear, he realizes, as the intensity ebbs. This thing that would be good for them, the ability to return- it would also mean losing people he cares about. That maybe they wouldn't be able to see each other again.

The smile he offers isn't forced, but it isn't as bright as some of the others he's offered up. Maybe that's to be expected. It's bittersweet. Hang out-]

I was gonna go look for some plants, like a flower shop or something.

D'you know any?

[ A flower shop? Bolin's gaze wanders over to the sunflower, and he wonders if Naruto's a fan of gardening. ]

Yeah, I do actually.

[ As a happy coincidence. Bolin himself isn't particularly partial to gardening or looking after plants, but Adrasteius had been crazy for it, so most of what he knows, he knows through osmosis. He can't given the teen any concrete information, but he can probably point him in the direction. ]

Well, [ he starts, setting the pillow aside, ] I actually just know one. But I can show you? Are you going to turn this place into a forest?

Yeah yeah, just lemme find some pants'attebayo.

[Because that's a normal conversation. Who doesn't casually talk about getting dressed while walking around in their underwear? Just bros being bros. Less normal is-]

...I think I left them behind the trash...

[The rooms aren't exactly spacious, and they don't come with a bunch of places to hide for the sake of modesty- not that it's really a factor for him anyway. Naruto digs around and sure enough, pulls a pair of loose pants loose from, of all things, a second garbage can. Best not to ask.]

Ano, it's not gonna be a forest or anything. I only got that one 'cause Hime-chan gave it to me, but I had some plants back home. I guess it reminded me that it's a little weird not having some now.

We can get some for you too!

[ That's definitely not normal. Not the fact that Naruto is in his boxers and getting dressed while Bolin lounges around - he'd already met the other boy in the hot springs, after all. But it is pretty weird that Naruto keeps his pants in the trash. It gets the earthbender to squint a little in confusion, but he doesn't really say anything.

Naruto's kind of whimsical like that, a guy's gotta learn to roll with the punches. ]

Hime... Oh, Sakura? [ He remembers that Naruto adds some kind of suffix to her name. ] She gave you flowers?

[ A little something to think about as he looks over at the sunflowers blooming happily on the bedside table. The brightness of the colour is enough to bring a smile to his face, and he can just imagine Sakura nervously trying to figure out what to give the boy. She is an incredibly thoughtful person. ]

That's cute. And sure, I can take care of a plant or two.

[ Maybe just one to start off with. ]

[It doesn't take him long to get dressed- years of practice scrambling together at top speed have made him efficient if nothing else. It wasn't that he had a habit of sleeping in, or that he was running late, but instead that Naruto was just enthusiastic. His head is inside one of his shirts, not yet popping out at the hole where his neck is supposed to be, when he starts to answer.]

Yeah! Actually it really surprised me.

[They're not impressive little guys just yet, but in time they will be!]

Once they're bigger I'll have to find somewhere to take 'em. Sunflowers can get real tall, taller than us!

[ Staring at the blob that is Naruto for a second, Bolin notices for a second his skinny body and surprising muscle tone, at odds with such a youthful face. It's just a surprising development to discover when looking over Naruto's body, like finding out the book you're reading isn't actually a comedy a couple of chapters in.

—Anyway. Getting up himself, he walks over to pick up Yun, hoisting her under his arm where she goes still. She's looking a little tired anyway, and will probably nap if he leaves her int he courtyard. (Or rather, collapse, since Yun doesn't often rest of her own accord.) ]

Maybe you could plant it in the Hall of Glory's garden? [ He frowns, thinking about it and hanging around the door. ] Or, if you buy your own place, you could put it anywhere.

Edited (typos...) 2016-08-17 03:14 (UTC)

My own place... [What a thought.

The idea seems to take him for a moment. As often as he and Bolin have talked about the possibilities of their future, about what it would mean to go home one day or to be stuck here forever, it's strange to think about something as big and permanent as that. His own place. He hadn't even thought that was possible here. Maybe after everything, Naruto himself hadn't been thinking it through.

He catches sight of Bolin's face around the corner, where he tucks the sheep under his arm- and he stops short.]

Bolin- are you sure you wanna go?

[ To be honest, Bolin hadn't been aware of it either. And he wasn't sure why anyone would get their own place until Adrasteius had—it is better for people that prefer privacy, he supposes. The place had been comfortable, though Bolin had been surprised the elf had enough things to fill a house, he barely has enough to fill his chest in their room.

He's not sure what's going to happen to that house now. Maybe Gilgamesh would take care of it, since they're boyfriends(?) or something? Regardless, it would feel awkward to visit. ]

What? [ He tilts his head at Naruto's question. ] Yeah, why not?

I just thought- [He hasn't bothered to go looking for Taco, much less to pick him up and tuck him under his arm in turn. Naruto knows he isn't always the most observant guy. There are lots of things he doesn't pick up on right away- he's all heart and not enough head. But there's something about the dynamic between them right now, the way they're sharing the space maybe, or that they're hovering here- on the edge of his bed, that reminds him of a few nights ago.

One hand moves to the nape of his neck, rubs there thoughtfully.]

Maybe you just wanted to be together for awhile.

We don't gotta do anything, if you're feelin' sad.

I haven't really lost any friends here yet so I can't really know what you're going through. But.

[ It's been a long time since Bolin's really lost someone. He's been so lucky these past years of his life, gaining more and more people that he could rely on. It hadn't entirely occurred to him that's what had happened with this disappearance; that he'd had his time with Adrasteius and that's it now. It's over. ]

Yeah, you can't. [ His answer, like his expression, is distant.

He can't even be too upset because it's a good thing that his friend had gotten to go back home. It's what most of them are hoping for sooner or later. So he's just sad, but it's a quiet, empty sadness, not the type that usually welled up in his chest.

But he's not being distant to keep Naruto at an arm's length, moreso because he's uncertain of the depth of his own feelings. ]

I am feeling pretty down, but is sitting around and moping going to help?

[ The confusion there is obvious, brows furrowing, and one hand rising and falling helplessly. He doesn't sound convinced by the logic, but it seems like it should ring true. ]

[They're close enough that if one of them sat back down, their knees would bump. Sharing space with Bolin is a natural progression, one of the many ways they've grown together. Naruto doesn't always know how to say the right things- actually he thinks he pretty much never says what he's supposed to- but instead he speaks through the set of his shoulders or the weight of his hands, elbows and eyes and exhales.

It's a complicated situation, he thinks. Could he be happy if it was Bolin that was gone? The man is his friend. It'd be hard to be left behind, to know he might never see that person again- but he also knows that Bolin loves the world he comes from- that there are family and friends he's missed terribly. It probably feels selfish to miss someone that way.]

I don't think anything really helps.

[It's an admission of a kind, in his own limited scope.]

When you miss someone, you just miss them- no matter what you do.

[ If Naruto wants to take the conversation in that direction, Bolin's not about to resist, falling back onto the bed, uncaring of the way that he hits the blonde on his way down. Yun wiggles free of his grasp, landing back on the ground with a growl and a glare before flopping over, much like her owner.

He scratches a hand through his hair, trying to figure out what he wants to do; something between just letting himself wallow, and also wanting to take his mind off it.

He wishes that Adra hadn't left, that Korra hadn't left either. He wishes that his brother was here, even if it would strip him of his bending and his purpose, and he doesn't need to ask someone to know that it's selfish. ]

Yeah. I should probably try to be a little happy though. [ He furrows his brows, trying to reconcile the reality of his emotions from what they should be. ] I mean, he got to go home. That's the dream.

[ He rubs his cheek next, fidgeting because it sucks, it sucks. ]

[Like he's been hit by a puff of wind, Bolin falls back onto his mattress, weight knocking him off balance on the way down. His gaze follows Yun- brows creased as she growls and... also flops over. He knows that their carriers aren't quite like the animals he's known back home, but even after all this time, seeing them do stuff like this still surprises him a little.

Naruto's arms stretch out in front of him and he eases down onto the edge of the mattress- his back is to Bolin, but at this angle he's still able to look at the man over one shoulder.]

Would you be happy if you left?

[ The answer should be obvious, and there's a smile on his face just thinking about it, gaze on the ceiling as he imagines being back home. ]

Well, yeah. I'd get to see Korra, my brother, Asami, and Pabu... I could get some noodles from Republic City, and earthbend again. It'd be great.

[ The smile tempers a bit as his gaze drops away and to the side, forming a slightly regretful frown instead. ]

I mean, I'd miss everyone from here too, but that's just how it's meant to be, you know. [ He looks over at Naruto and nudges him. ] You've got friends you want to see back home too, don't you?

[There are lots of honest answers to that question- but none of them feel like they fit quite right; it's the same way that a puzzle is made up of a bunch of different pieces but each of those can only link to one or two others. They've had a conversation like this once before- close to it anyway.

Bolin smiles at the ceiling and Naruto thinks that no matter what happens, Bolin definitely need to go back home. Everyone he loves is there. Everything he knows. This Republic City is part of him.

But man-]

When you go back, I'm really gonna miss you.

[ Yeah, Bolin knows that. He's not coy or humble about their friendship; like he knows that Mako would risk his life for him (or any of them), he knows that Naruto cares about him. From the very beginning they'd fit together easily, worked with a coordination and understanding Bolin had missed since coming here. He's not really surprised by the content of Naruto's words.

But he is surprised by the way that they incite a spark of cold loneliness in his chest. That statement just sounds so lonely, and Bolin's not preceptive enough to know why; wonders even if he has his best friends here, there's a certain weight in knowing that they're from so far into the future.

—He grins, reaching out without any care to ruffle Naruto's hair with both his hands, a lighter noise just short of laughter escaping him as he uses that grip to pull the other boy back down, Naruto's head hitting one side of his chest. ]

Yeah, I'd really miss you too. It'd be awesome if I could bring you to Republic City! Oh man, I wonder what kind of bender you'd be?

[ It's just a throw away comment, though genuine, but as he says it, the more he warms up to it. ]

Probably not an earthbender... Maybe air? Or fire? I'd help coach you anyway, but somehow I get the feeling you'll be a natural at it.

[Bolin continues to talk, following the train of thought out the way one would go from limb to limb in a tall tree. Naruto doesn't follow right away. He sits with the feeling, the one they've been dancing around for ages- the eventuality that some of the people he's become friends with will go back home- Bolin included. He inhales, and then exhales slow. There's nothing to do with an emotion like that. It just has to be there and take it's time.

His friend doesn't seem to want to talk about it, or maybe he's just caught up in possibilities instead, and Naruto lets himself follow. He swings his legs up, nudging into Bolin's side to make the guy make space on the mattress.]

Well, I'm a wind type back home- so that's probably air, right?

[ Bolin shifts to the side easily, caught up in an impossible idea. One of his arms falls off the side of the bed, hand landing on the poof of Yun's wool that the sheep acknowledges with an irritated grunt, but Bolin doesn't move. ]

Airbender, I guess. You'd have to train under Tenzin...

[ Impossible. The world is a big place, but they've had three years for the new airbenders to emerge, and Bolin's having a hard time imagining a new one suddenly appearing, a personality as big as Naruto's. Airbenders had been saved from the brink of extinction, but it's not as though Bolin expects to meet a new one like that.

He shouldn't have said that, it's becoming harder to picture. ]

It'd be nice. Even if it's more important for you to get back home.

[ It'd be incredible if they really could harness this ability to travel across worlds. ]

[Alright not enough space, keep moving. Naruto continues to jostle him over until he's able to stretch his legs out- bare feet hanging over the bottom of the bed. This is becoming a thing for them, a place to lounge around together that isn't being sprawled on the grass after training or the floor of someone's apartment. It's. Nice. It was nice before, but it's still nice.

Naruto reaches for the pillow- fumbles. Twice. Then grabs it as its falling off the side of the mattress just so he can use it to swat Bolin in the head with it. The gesture is more playful than anything else and he has the grin to prove it.]

Oi oi you're talking about work again.

[Bolin made that joke one time and Naruto is never going to let it go.]

Tell me somethin' else in stead. Tell me about your noodle place.

Ow! Hey!

[ Bolin protests the treatment loudly, scooting away and jostling Yun as he does so, her sound of protest evolving into a growl. (He moves his hand out of her fleece then, out of consideration, not fear.)

He sighs as he faces Naruto, the position feeling so familiar. ]

Okay. The noodle place? [ He thinks about it, it's been a while since he's gone, and he needs a moment to think about what to say. ]

Well, it's called Narook's Seaweed Noodlery, and it's got the best seaweed noodles in the city! They're totally authentic Water Tribe noodles too, my friend Korra loves the place as she's from the Water Tribe. [ His hands are up now, gesturing and revealing his enthusiasm as he talks. ] But that's pretty typical of Republic City: you can find stuff from all over the Four Nations!

[He doesn't take the protest seriously but that's because he isn't supposed to. The pillow was a punctuation mark and a diversion in equal measure- moving them into the new. He isn't trying to run from the sense of sadness that they never seem able to shake, he's just rolling with it. Like all things, the emotion won't be all consuming forever. Life goes on and so do the people in it- what matters, he thinks, is embracing those moments as they come. Like this.

Naruto's arms fold behind his head only to change trajectory at the last moment- giving Bolin something to pillow his own on.]

Seaweed noodles? [That isn't something he's thought of before.]

Are they real salty? Is it like kelp, all green an' stuff?

It can't be better than ramen, nothing's as good as that.

[ It does lift his spirits to talk about Narook's, the nostalgia creating a familiar, cozy feeling in his chest. Like he's still got a bit of home with him.

He's happy too, knowing that he's got Naruto here. ]

Yeah, it's green! Because of seaweed. [ Which is fairly self-evident. ] And they're normally salty... Man, my mouth is starting to water just remembering them. It is kind of like ramen, but a different kind of noodle and broth? But the same... elements?

[ He knocks on Naruto's shoulder. ]

What do you miss most about home?

[Most is a hard thing to talk about because it's so many different things, and none of those things are really easy to bring up. The big stuff is a far cry from the comfortable tone they've slipped into too. Naruto's feet swing thoughtfully, a lazy sway from side to side.

Now that he mentions it...]

There's nothing here like Ichiraku.

[What a pathetic sounding voice! He's starting to rub his stomach just thinking about it.]

I've been dreaming about that ramen forever, and the old man that runs it sometimes gives me extra bowls, yanno? It's the best when somebody else treats you, but Ichiraku's always so good I spend all my money there anyway.

Ichiraku? [ He sounds a little puzzled before he laughs a little. ] Ramen? That's what you miss the most?

[ Maybe it's on Naruto's mind since they're already talking about noodles. Bolin crosses his arms over his chest as he thinks about it. ]

I kind of understand. That old man sounds pretty nice, it's a good thing that you're still paying or his kindness might've run him out of business... [ Naruto's got a bit of an appetite.

He's thinking about what kind of place the other boy comes from now though, where kids are trained to fight and work as ninjas rather than being caught up in it all through circumstance. It's a little hard to picture. ]

But I guess you have Sasuke and Sakura here, even if they are old.

[ .... ]

I still can't believe you won't ask them anything about your future!

[It's probably a little more than that. Naruto can be pretty frugal, but going to Ichiraku had always been something special- when no one else in the village would tolerate him, he could always climb onto a stool there and didn't have to get worried about getting kicked out. And then after that are a string of memories associated with celebrating with his friends- when Iruka-sensei treated him for the first time after he graduated the academy, sitting with team seven, trying to trick Kakashi-sensei into taking off his mask. In the whole village that one place had been something he could always count on. It really is synonymous with home, more than his little one bedroom ever could have been.

The memories leave him beaming at the ceiling, content and warm, even as his thoughts drift Sakura and Sasuke.]

I've asked them a couple'a questions, but. [His brows scrunch together and Naruto's head rolls to look at him; they're almost nose to nose.]

I'm not really sure that they're happy.

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